Recently, automatic parking systems have been widely used for efficiently parking a large number of vehicles in limited spaces. Such a parking system includes a structure, such as a parking building or a parking tower, having therein a plurality of parking spaces, and a transport mechanism, which is provided in the structure and puts vehicles into or extracts them from the inner space of the structure.
Furthermore, in the parking system, a vehicle support plate which is called a pallet is used for parking vehicles. In detail, when a vehicle is placed at a predetermined position near an entrance of the structure for parking, the entrance opens. Thereafter, a driver parks the vehicle at a desired position on a pallet, which is provided at the bottom of the structure. Subsequently, the driver comes out through the entrance and operates a control panel, which is provided around the entrance, such that a parking process is conducted. Then, the transport mechanism, such as an elevator, carries the pallet, on which the vehicle is loaded. Subsequently, the transport mechanism places the vehicle along with the pallet into a vacant parking space, thus completing the parking process. Therefore, a pallet must be provided to every parking space in the structure. However, the conventional parking system using the pallet has the following disadvantages.
First, a lot of time is required to put a vehicle into or to extract it from the parking system. For example, when the vehicle is put into the parking system, the transport mechanism moves to a vacant parking space, takes a vacant pallet, and moves along with the vacant pallet to the entrance. Furthermore, when it is desired to consecutively park a plurality of vehicles into parking spaces of the parking system, because the above-mentioned parking processes are repeatedly conducted, time consumption increases. Moreover, when it is desired to extract the vehicles from the parking spaces of the parking system, the transport mechanism must put a vacant pallet for a first vehicle into a related parking space prior to extracting a subsequent vehicle after the first vehicle has been extracted. As such, because it is required to put the pallets into and to extract them from the parking spaces, the time required to put the vehicle into the parking system and extract it therefrom increases. Therefore, the waiting time at the entrance increases, so that the entrance of the parking system is congested, thus inconveniencing drivers.
Second, because a pallet must be provided in each parking space, and incidental equipment for the pallet is required, the parking system is very complex and has an increased volume. Accordingly, the incidence of malfunction is increased, and installation cost and maintenance cost are increased.
Third, every time the pallet is moved, noise and vibration occur. That is, typically, each pallet is larger than a vehicle so as to support the vehicle. As such, when a large pallet is put into or extracted from a parking space, vibration and noise occur. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle transport apparatus for a parking system which rapidly parks and extracts vehicles in and from the parking system, and a method for automatically transporting a vehicle using the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle transport apparatus for a parking system which has a simple structure.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle transport apparatus for a parking system which reduces vibration and noise.